A Flushing nonprofit is hoping to start a soil remediation program this summer that would treat soil in a section of Kissena Corridor Park by planting rice and different types of grass.
Green Earth Urban Gardens is appealing for Community Board 7’s permission to start the project, which will teach high school students how to clean up an acre site near the intersection of 56th Avenue and Main Street.
“It’s a way of getting young people to look at the environment and to get them to think of ideas to fix environmental problems,” said Maureen Regan, president of Green Earth Urban Gardens.
Students will use a process called phytoremediation to clean up toxins and heavy metals that could be present in the soil in the Flushing park, said Regan, who has recruited John Bowne High School students to participate in the project.
Regan first thought of the idea after she realized all of the city’s urban gardens use raised beds. This is because growing crops directly in the ground is not advisable as the city’s soil is largely contaminated with heavy metals, she said. Through her research, Regan found the phytoremediation process, which uses plants to uptake contaminants.
In the proposed project, students will test the soil before they plant rice and different types of grass. They will then harvest and burn their crops before they test the soil again to see how much toxins were absorbed by the plants. Regan chose rice for the project because she has experience growing the crop as her father is a farmer in Guyana.
So let me get this straight...we think this site is contaminated, so we're going to send a bunch of kids in there to clean it up?
19 comments:
Why let kids clean it up when old people polluted it in the first place?
fortunately,kids are too self absorbed with their smartphones and social networking to give a shit about environmental causes.
why don't this non-profit hire and pay professionals to clean up the site if they give a damn about "greenspace"
if the soil is toxic with metals,shouldn't kissena be a superfund sight?
Nice way to save money..... get students to clean up contaminated Parks! Is the Parks department that broke or just cheap?
Regan chose rice for the project because she has experience growing the crop as her father is a farmer in Guyana.
Her father is a farmer in Guyana? That's good enough for me! You're HIRED!!!
Except maybe one problem, according to the Wikipedia on rice:
More than 100 varieties of rice are commercially produced primarily in six states (Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and California) in the U.S.
No problem! We're not in Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, California, or Guyana anymore, Dorothy!
Let's get the little vibrants out in the rice paddies with conical Asian hats right away!!!
Sí, se puede!!!
Why can't kids be productive for a change? Get them out from their computers and phones for a bit and involved in the community.
In general kids litter like crazy (not their fault entirely - their parents are slobs as well)- why not let them be part of the clean-up process and learn a little about civic responsibility?
It sounds like a great idea!
Doesn't the City require that they get paid minnimum wages?
How did it get contaminated? It has been park/weeds since the last Ice Age.
And if it is contaminated, raised beds will not save you.
"Why can't kids be productive for a change? Get them out from their computers and phones for a bit and involved in the community."
Wonderful!!
Send the high schoolers to a contaminated site which now isn't a problem considering we have Obamacare to cure their future ills caused by those youth friendly heavy metals.
Regan's group Green Earth Urban Gardens is located in Woodhaven. Perhaps she could lend her "farming" expertise to improve Forest Park in her own neighborhood.
I did not say that this site is contaminated, this is a project of applying different methods to restoring soil health.
'Asian Hats" DaSilva say.
That say a lot about how we view our communities in Queens. Thank you for that comment.
Maureen Regan
Maureen, the entire article is about cleaning up a contaminated part of Kissena Park. I don't get where you're coming from.
Maureen:
Since your group is located in Woodhaven you would have more credibility if you concentrated your efforts on Forrest Park.
Forrest Park is a disaster and perhaps your efforts might make it more hospitable to the residents of your community.
I don't know why you think that my group is located in Woodhaven. We work throughout the borough, its not about "my" neighborhood. Our mission is clear so thank you for suggesting I stay over by Forest Park. This reminds me of one bigot in Flushing that wanted to know why I am working in Flushing and promised to "run me out of town"
I wonder why you choose this photo for your report. Its quite interesting. I would be more than happy to talk with this Blog about our work in the great Borough of Queens, whether we work with Sandy Hurricane victims,
grow and supply food kitchens with fresh local food, engage youth in caring for their communities or simply belonging to a local civic, giving communities a place to have their voices heard. Let me know when you want to talk with us about the work we have been doing and the number of young people we interact with, including the learning disabled and seniors.
It's an aerial shot of the section of the park mentioned in the article. I fail to see why it would be controversial.
I also see why a suggestion to clean up Forest park would be seen as racist. The photos posted on this blog prove it needs cleaning up.
Until the bottle lady starts picking the rice yo eat
Your website states your group is located on Elderts Lane in Woodhaven. http://www.greenearthurbangardens.org/About-Us.html
Perhaps setting roots in one of the city's great parks that is worn and neglected (scroll back a few stories on this blog and you'll see what I mean) by the powers that be in the Parks Department instead of flitting around willy-nilly all over the borough your credibility might improve.
Right now you appear to be an opportunist hungering for media exposure for your myriad of questionable projects.
lol! I like your tenacity. I would love to meet you face to face one day and we can talk about Forest Park. I don't know too much about it, but I will scroll back and read your blog about it. All other comments about my character etc., its okay, you have to take the punches to move ahead with any vision. Keep up the good work and keep blogging....it brings awareness and isn't that the ultimate goal!
Right now you appear to be an opportunist hungering for media exposure for your myriad of questionable projects.
THAT ABOUT SUMMARIZES QUEENS POLITICIANS AND THE PROGRAMS THEY FUND: MAKES GOOD PHOTO OPS FOR THE POLS AND LIKE THE POLS DOES LITTLE ELSE.
What is the problem with kids doing some clean up in a brownfield - they are raising generations of kids in LIC next to the railyard, waterfront, Newtown Creek.
The gunk is on their shoes, in their schools, gets in their food and is trooped home to baby sister and mom and dad.
Hmm award a toxic removal company a 50 million dollar contract to remove contaminated waste
-or-
Get children to clean up pollution under the guise of "community service" and "environmental activism" and let them die off of undiagnosed cancers and respiratory illnesses over the next 15 years
Hell it worked for 9/11 lets go for it
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